Easy Rosemary Hair Growth Spray
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* 10 drops rosemary essential oil
* 1/2 teaspoon of a carrier oil (coconut oil, jojoba oil, or squalane oil)
* 4 ounces distilled water
* 4 ounces spray bottle (amber bottles like this will keep the essential oil potent longer)
* mini funnel (optional but helpful)

Instructions
* Add 10 drops of rosemary essential oil to a 1/2 teaspoon and fill the rest of the teaspoon with a carrier oil.

* Pour your oils into your bottle and fill the rest of the bottle to the top with water. Give your bottle a shake and spray directly into roots and then rub it in with your fingers a bit.

* Spray into hair once a day.

That's it.

from A Beautiful Mess

​Can shampoo in a bar really get your hair clean and shiny? Industry professionals explain how the bars can help your hair and, more importantly, the planet.

​If you think you’re already doing your part to reduce plastic use, take a quick peek inside your shower stall. See those plastic bottles of shampoo and conditioner? No judgment, but ahem.

The good news is there’s another, more eco-friendly way to cleanse that magnificent mane of yours. The growing category of shampoo bars is gaining in popularity with folks who want to do the right thing, but who also want their hair to look its absolute best at all times (so, pretty much everybody).

One shampoo bar = Three plastic shampoo bottles

Shampoo bars are a small but significant step in our quest to reduce plastic proliferation. The makers of these bars say their products are essentially all the good parts of shampoo (the stuff that gets your hair clean and beautiful) without a bunch of non-essential water added — and with no plastic bottle required.

“Liquid shampoo contains 80 to 90% water,” Superzero founder and co-CEO Conny Wittke told HuffPost. “The amount of plastic used in the beauty industry is significant, creating 120 billion units of plastic packaging waste every year globally. In the United States, 552 million plastic shampoo bottles are sold every year. But overall, less than 10% of the plastic we create gets recycled.”

Removing the water from shampoo formulations leaves consumers with one small bar that can contain the equivalent of up to three bottles of shampoo, enough for up to 80 washes, depending on the brand. Then there’s the issue of what it takes to get that bottle transported from a factory to your shower stall. “Because you get more product for less weight and volume with shampoo bars, there are fewer greenhouse gases generated during shipping,” Wittke said.

How significant is that impact? “One of our shampoo bars has just 8% of the carbon footprint of the equivalent liquid product,”said Brianne West, founder and CEO of . Allison Teasdale, the chief operating officer ofUnwrapped Life, noted: “We’ve diverted more than 4.5 million plastic bottles from entering our oceans, and we’re committed to preventing more than 20 million plastic bottles by 2025.”

Is there a shampoo bar in your future? It seems likely. “Everyone who uses shampoo eventually will use them,” said co-founder Dion Hughes. “I foresee a time when using shampoo from plastic bottles is as uncool as lighting a cigarette in a restaurant.”

You’ve got to let go of the ‘theater of lather’

You’ll need to manage your expectations with your first few bar uses, starting with the volume of lather you’re likely to see. There’s a “theater of lather” that we’ve come to expect from our cleansing products, but the additives that provide a rich lather aren’t necessarily proof of super-deep cleaning. “Lather is not so much a cleansing effect as a reassuring effect,” Hughes said.

“You’ll notice that your shampoo bar will suds up, but it’s not like the kind of foam you see in a beer commercial, more just a creamy lather,” Shambar founder Jeffrey Qaiyum told HuffPost. “If you’re getting that much foam from a shampoo bar, frankly, you’re using a bar of soap with the word ‘shampoo’ slapped on the label.”

It might take some getting used to

How that small, hard bar will translate into a good shampoo might seem confusing at first, but after a few tries, you’ll get the hang of it. “Just swoosh the entire bar around on your head,” said Erica Vega, brand and product expert for Lush Cosmetics USA . “If your hair is prone to tangles, rub it in your hands first, then rub the lather in, the way you would do with a liquid shampoo.”

After rinsing and drying, your hair might look a little different than the way it does after a traditional shampoo, at least at first. Shampoo bars tend to be gentler than shampoo, so you’ll need to let your hair adjust to that milder cleansing, or you might eventually need to switch up the timing and frequency of your shampoos. “For some people, it takes two to three weeks to ‘break in’ and let the hair become normalized after years of having natural oils stripped away by shampoos,” said James R. Liggett, president and founder of J. R. Liggett’s.

What about conditioner?

Whether you’ll need a conditioner bar is a matter of your particular hair type. Someone with short hair might be just fine, but those with thicker, longer or curlier hair might want to use one.

“Many people with curly hair choose not to use shampoo in favor of co-washing, which is washing with conditioner,” West said. She noted that those products also have eco-benefits. “One of our conditioner bars is equivalent to five bottles of liquid conditioner,” she added.

Travel, shave and even wash the dog with your shampoo bar

Because of their compact size, shampoo bars make sense for travel. They eliminate worries about Transportation Security Administration requirements because — ta-da! — you’ve ditched the liquid altogether. Whether you’re staying at a luxury hotel or at a campsite, you’ll also find that a shampoo bar is a good in-a-pinch way to care for hand-washable clothing when you’re on the road.
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People can use the bars on their entire bodies, or as a replacement for shaving cream. And you can break them out when it’s time to wash pets, too. No matter what you’re doing with your own particular bar, “They’re absolutely gentle enough to use every day,” Qaiyum said.

For more of this story, click here and scroll down to Shampoo bars to try

If you decide that you want to make your hair less frizzy or straighter, you may choose to go to a professional stylist at a hair salon for a hair straightening or smoothing service. Most hair smoothing or straightening products release formaldehyde gas, a known human carcinogen as classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, into the air during the hair straightening or smoothing process. Formaldehyde exposure can cause both short- and long-term effects that may impact your health.

What Happens During the Hair Smoothing Process? 

Your stylist usually applies a hair straightening or smoothing solution to your hair and follows it with a heat processing step—typically performed with a flat iron device that seals the solution into the strands of the hair. When the solution is heated, the formaldehyde in the product is released into the air as a gas. If the salon is not properly ventilated, you, your stylist, and others in the salon are at risk of inhaling the released formaldehyde.

Why Exposure to Formaldehyde is Dangerous

When formaldehyde is released into the air and is present in the air at levels exceeding 0.1 ppm, it can cause serious irritation of your eyes, nose, and lungs. It can also cause skin sensitivity or allergic dermatitis.

Formaldehyde Exposure: Potential Short-and Long-Term Effects

The greater the exposure to products that contain formaldehyde in terms of both length of time and concentration, the higher the potential health risks. Individuals who have experienced formaldehyde exposure have described reactions such as eye problems or irritation, nervous system problems (for example, headaches and dizziness), respiratory tract problems (sore or scratchy throat, cough, wheezing), nausea, chest pain, vomiting, and rashes. Chronic effects associated with formaldehyde can include an increased prevalence of headaches, asthma, contact dermatitis (a red, itchy rash caused by direct contact with a substance or an allergic reaction to it as a result of sensitization) and possibly cancer.

It’s important to note that some people are very sensitive to formaldehyde, whereas others have no reaction to the same level of exposure. If you are sensitive to formaldehyde, you should not use this type of product.

Steps to Take If You’re Thinking of Using Hair Smoothing Products 

1. Don’t do it yourself. Don’t apply them yourself at home. Go to a licensed hair professional in a salon. Hair professionals should be trained to take precautions such as wearing gloves and safety glasses, as well as making sure that there is proper ventilation when applying hair smoothing products. For more information, please visit OSHA Hair Salons: Facts about Formaldehyde in Hair Products.
2. Read the list of ingredients. While the FDA discourages consumers from buying these products for home use, if you are considering purchasing a product from a store or online to apply yourself, read the required list of ingredients. If there isn’t one, don’t buy the product. If the hair smoothing product lists one of these ingredient names on the packaging or company website: formaldehyde, formalin, or methylene glycol, then it means the product contains formaldehyde or will release formaldehyde. Of note, not all hair smoothing products contain formaldehyde, which is why you need to read the label to see what is in the product. 
3. You may also want to ask your salon professional these questions: Does the product contain formaldehyde? Is there an ingredient list available for this product that I could read? Would it be possible for me to review the Safety Data Sheet for this product?  Have you been trained to apply this product, and do you know the necessary safeguards to minimize exposure to formaldehyde? May I see your training certificate from the manufacturer and the directions for product use? Does the salon have proper ventilation? Do you periodically test the air for adherence to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s limits for formaldehyde? Do you have an alternative hair smoothing product that does not release formaldehyde when heated?
4. Report bad reactions. If you experience a bad reaction to a hair smoothing product, stop using the product and report your symptoms to your health care provider. You can also report your symptom to the FDA by contacting the Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your area or by  reporting them online at MedWatch, the FDA’s safety information and adverse reporting program. You also may call MedWatch at 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form by mail.

​See a fact sheet and an infographic for more information about hair smoothing products and formaldehyde.

Is your hair dry and brittle, or maybe you struggle to detangle your locks and tame the frizz? Deep conditioners come to the rescue.

Implementing these treatments in your regular hair care routine will take it to a whole new level. All you need to do is find the right products to suit your hair type and deep condition your hair regularly. Let’s explore the variety of deep conditioners and find out which will work for you best.

Benefits of Deep Conditioning

Would you agree that a proper skincare regimen can’t consist of only a moisturizer, right? Equally, shampoo and conditioner are only the bare basics for your hair care routine, deep conditioner being an important product to add to it.

Deep conditioning masks are applied for a certain amount of time to deeply penetrate the hair shaft and nourish and moisturize your strands. Deep conditioners have a thicker and more concentrated formula that contains hydrating and nourishing ingredients to prevent breakage, make hair softer, less tangled, and easier to style.

If the hair is lightened and faces frequent heat styling, you should never skip a deep conditioner. If you do, fixing brassy hair or going lighter without going through intensive deep conditioning to restore the health of the locks first may completely ruin your hairstyle and bring you even further away from your hair color goals.

To build your winning haircare routine, you need to figure out what are your main struggles: whether it’s high porosity, dull look, or split ends – you need to face the problem to tackle it. A deep conditioner can help with all of these challenges, but hair types matter a lot here, too, as fine, frizzy, or coarse hair would require a different approach.

How to Deep Condition Your Hair

Our team has researched and picked the best ways to deep condition hair, from the top-rated salon procedures to DIY recipes you can do at home. We hope you can choose some that will work best for your locks.

#1: Store-Bought Deep Conditioning Masks
If you need to deep condition your hair, a hair mask might be the easiest and the most common solution. The difference between a deep conditioner and a regular conditioner is that it has a more reach and concentrated formula. Here are some of our favorite deep conditioning masks:

Normally, you’ll need to use a deep conditioner once or twice a week. Using deep conditioning more often can cause a buildup in your hair, which consequently will cause more harm than benefit.
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Here are the steps to apply your deep conditioner:

• After you wash your hair, remove the excess water and apply the product mid-lengths to the ends and comb through.
• Let the hair mask stay in your hair for at least the time recommended by the manufacturer (at least 30 minutes or longer), as it needs time to penetrate the cuticle and process. We don’t recommend leaving any deep conditioning treatments overnight, as sleeping with wet hair can result in physical damage to hair.
• If you have low porosity hair and struggle with product absorption, cover your hair with a plastic cap to let the natural heat from your head help open the cuticles or use a hooded steamer or a blow dryer to steam your locks.
• Rinse with cool water, shampoo and condition your strands as usual.

#2: Olaplex

​An absolute hair hero of the last few years, Olaplex, has indeed seriously changed the game for many of us. Its patented formula can noticeably repair even severely damaged hair, reduces breakage, and protects hair structure.
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Most of the reputable hair salons offer professional Olaplex deep conditioning as well as Olaplex additives that can be used during any coloring process. Also, their No3 Hair Perfector is a product designed to be used at home and is one of the best intensive hair treatments to date.

Here is how to deep condition with Olaplex at home:
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• Apply it on damp hair from root to tips and leave for as long as possible (at least 10 minutes).
• Rinse with cool water, shampoo, and use your everyday conditioner.
• Use it once a week or more often for very dry, damaged hair.

#3: Coconut Oil

​We totally swear by coconut oil as the best natural ingredient for hair care. It contains fatty acids and Vitamin E – ingredients that moisturize and hydrate hair as well as reduce its damage. Eventually, it facilitates length retention, as it helps you maintain the health of your hair for a longer time and you need a haircut less often.

Here is how to use the natural oil as a DIY deep conditioner:
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• Buy extra virgin coconut oil – the one that hasn’t been chemically processed and still contains its most valuable ingredients.
• Melt and apply it from the mid-length to the ends and leave for 30-60 minutes.
• You can also put on a shower cap and cover your hair with a warm towel to increase the effect. This step is essential for those with coarse, low porosity hair, as heat promotes product penetration.
• Follow with shampoo and conditioner.

#4: DIY Deep Conditioning Mask

While there’s a vast variety of ready-to-use deep conditioners from high street to luxury products, making your own product feels like a very special self-care ritual.

Here is the recipe:

• ½ cup of shea butter
• 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons of castor oil

Enriched with vitamins A and E, shea butter has excellent emollient qualities. Castor oil strengthens the hair follicles and facilitates hair growth. Both these ingredients, alongside the benefits of coconut oil, make your hair shiny and strong, prevent sun and pollution damage.

Here are the steps to prepare and apply apple natural oils deep conditioning:

• Whip shea butter, melt coconut oil, and mix all the ingredients.
• Apply on dry hair from the roots to the tips. You can also massage the treatment into your scalp.
• Leave it for 45 minutes. Ideally, wear a plastic cap and wrap your hair in a warm towel to facilitate the processing of the treatment.
• Rinse thoroughly using shampoo and follow with a conditioner.

This DIY conditioning treatment is good for any hair type, especially if your hair needs a shield to prevent losing hair’s moisture. However, if you have the oily scalp of very fine hair, it might feel too heavy for you.

Of course, there are more homemade hair mask recipes that often include ripe avocados, honey, castor and olive oil. These will be a good addition to your healthy hair journey, but they will unlikely work as a deep conditioner substitute, as many ingredients do not have fatty acids needed to penetrate the hair shaft.
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We hope you found some useful information in this article. As we all know, the key to success is consistency: use a deep conditioner once a week and you will soon see a noticeable difference in your hair. Not only will it get shiny, less tangled and more manageable, but you will also be able to grow your locks longer.

Hair plays an important role in our physical appearance. It ranks highest among the possible ways for women to express themselves, even found to be more important than smiling, clothes, complexion and makeup. It is also one of the few areas where women have some level of control by altering the length, style and color. By doing so, they can change the perception of themselves and ultimately showcase confidence and express their personality. Additionally, hair alters how women are perceived by others, their competency, individuality and character.

Hair health plays a large part in this created confidence and competency either from self-assessment or by others. These findings have been confirmed in research. For example, one study demonstrated that images of undamaged hair shown to 50 men and 50 women were perceived as younger, healthier and more attractive than images of damaged hair.1 There are many research articles and reviews that consider hair changes as a function of age, such as graying, diameter and density changes, but these articles do not link biology changes to hair, habit changes or even cultural environment associated with age and beauty.2 Thus, the objective of this article is to explore in more detail how perceptions of healthy hair vary as women age; what the contributing factors are, both culturally and biologically; and how this leads to different hair damage issues women face, as well as product solutions. The underlying premise is that perceptions of healthy hair and the product choices made are determined both by the cultural environment and the changing biology of hair.

Hair Damage Assessment

The first question is whether a women’s perception of their hair health changes as they age. A U.S. study of more than 500 women aged between 18-75 asked the women to assess their amount of damage on a five-point scale from no damage to severe damage. The percentage of women who answered "moderate to severe damage" was 20-25% for all age groups; the percentage decreased at ages 60-65, with 15% claiming "moderate or severe damage." In addition, 50% of this older group claimed to have no damage at all. Therefore, from 60-65 years, it appears women experience less damage but at all other ages, the level of perceived damage is consistent.

A related question was how concerned users were with hair damage and not unexpectedly, the older group was significantly less concerned about damage than all other ages. Most concerned were those in the 18-35 age group followed by the 35-60 age group. The younger age group also felt they had to work harder to get the style they wanted, indicating a generally higher dissatisfaction with their hair.
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Read more in the February 2022 digital edition >>>